Michael Mills MA, PsyD, MFT

About Michael Mills 

I’m Michael Mills MA, PsyD, MFT, a psychotherapist with more than 20 years of experience in the field. That said, my adult career began on a more traditional path, working in a department store as a buyer and manager right out of college. I very much enjoyed it but eventually found it lacking, wishing to connect and serve in a deeper way. So, I went back to school and received an MA in Humanities, Culture, Ecology and Sustainability—in which we looked at cultures past and present through an eco-psychology lens in hopes of developing a more just and sustainable world. After that I went to work on a Psychology Doctorate and became a licensed mental health provider. In the 20 years since, I worked in the public sector as a mental health clinician, clinical supervisor, conservator, and assistant deputy for mental health. Now, retired from public service, I’m circling back, with the hope of helping individuals live their best and most authentic lives.
In my practice I utilize a contemporary psychodynamically-informed, eclectic approach to therapy, one which is relational, compassionate and human centered. Through a variety of evidence-based techniques that build off of a deep respect for the individual and their personal process—such as deep listening, mindfulness, CBT and dialectical skills which help bring essential truths into conscious awareness—the client and I will search out the personal truths necessary for living a life of clarity, authenticity, freedom and peace.
All of that said, I’d like to acknowledge that everyone struggles in their own way– each and every one of us. I’ve certainly had my share of difficulties along the way. A lifetime of losses and adverse experiences have created barriers to us growing authentically into our healthy vibrant selves. Instead, they often result in adverse symptoms both to our mental and physical health—manifesting in such forms as anxiety, depression, trauma, relational conflicts, as well as contributing to a myriad of potential physical symptoms such as asthma, sleep disorders, or even heart disease. Beyond that, these past several years of global, national, and local challenges have further taxed our abilities to cope and stay balanced.
As your therapist, I will I work with you to help discover your true self by uncovering the narratives that we and others have given us to adapt and survive in past times of challenge but that no longer work in the present. We will learn healthy coping strategies that will serve in moments of distress as well as in your long term continued growth.
I’m here for you if you are ready to begin.